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Synonyms

taut

American  
[tawt] / tɔt /

adjective

tauter, tautest

  1. tightly drawn; tense; not slack.

  2. emotionally or mentally strained or tense.

    taut nerves.

  3. in good order or condition; tidy; neat.

    Synonyms:
    smart, spruce, trig, trim
taut British  
/ tɔːt /

adjective

  1. tightly stretched; tense

  2. showing nervous strain; stressed

  3. nautical in good order; neat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • tautly adverb
  • tautness noun
  • untaut adjective
  • untautly adverb
  • untautness noun

Etymology

Origin of taut

1275–1325; earlier taught, Middle English tought; akin to tow 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The howling wind pulled his tail taut, pinned his whiskers flat against his cheeks.

From Literature

Trunk, branches, leaves and night sky form an intricate pattern, creating the taut balance between image and abstract form that O’Keeffe was achieving in many of her paintings of the 1920s.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Bulldog raised his chin so high his jowls stretched taut.

From Literature

His face was taut, but a small smile played about his lips.

From Literature

Sometimes I imagine the table, the net taut as a border fence.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.